"My goodness!" exclaimed Mr. King at a little remove and viewing the
scene with great disfavor, "this is worse than the danger of taking
cold. Have they no sense, to carry on like this?"

"They're so glad to see the Peppers again, father," said Mrs. Whitney
with bright eyes. "You took them away from all these good people, you
know; it's but fair to give them up for one day."

The old gentleman fumed and fretted, however, in a subdued fashion; at
last wisely turning his back, he began to stalk down the platform, under
pretense of examining the landscape.

"Your friends will stay with us," Mrs. Henderson was saying in a gently
decisive manner, "the old parsonage is big enough," she added with a
laugh.

"Oh! you are so good and thoughtful, dear Mrs. Henderson," cried Mrs.
Pepper with delight at the thought of the homelike warmth of the
parsonage life awaiting the old gentleman, for whom she was dreading the
dreary hotel.

"I'm good to ourselves," declared the parson's wife gaily.

Jasper gave a shout when the new arrangement was declared, as it
presently was by Percy and Van, who flung themselves after him as he was
seeing to the luggage with Ben, and his face glowed with the greatest
satisfaction.

"That is jolly," he exclaimed, "and that's a fact! Now, Ben, we're but a